07. Land Use, Natural Resources, and Human Development Free Online FlashCards

What is adaptive environmental management?

Adaptive management sets goals, monitors conditions and outcomes, and revises practices as new information becomes available.

How does deforestation differ from forest degradation?

Deforestation permanently removes forest cover, whereas forest degradation reduces forest health or ecological function without completely removing the forest.

Why can monoculture plantations be vulnerable?

Monoculture plantations generally have less genetic, age, and species diversity than natural forests, making them more vulnerable to pests, disease, and large disturbances.

What is rangeland carrying capacity?

Carrying capacity is the number of grazing animals a rangeland can support over a specified period without degrading its vegetation, soil, or water resources.

How do overfishing and overfished differ?

Overfishing occurs when fish are harvested faster than the population can replace itself; an overfished stock has fallen below a designated biological threshold.

What is bycatch?

Bycatch is the unintended capture of nontarget organisms, such as juvenile fish, sea turtles, seabirds, or marine mammals.

What is the difference between land cover and land use?

Land cover is the physical material on Earth's surface, while land use is the human purpose or management applied to that surface.

Why do impervious surfaces increase water pollution?

Impervious surfaces prevent water from infiltrating soil, increasing runoff that can carry oil, metals, nutrients, sediment, and pathogens into streams.

How does acid mine drainage form?

Acid mine drainage forms when water and oxygen react with sulfur-bearing minerals exposed by mining, producing acidic water that can transport metals.

Why may reclamation not restore the original ecosystem?

Reclamation restores mined land to a productive or ecologically stable use, but it may not recreate the original soil structure, groundwater flow, seed banks, or biological communities.

What does hydraulic fracturing do?

Hydraulic fracturing injects fluid at high pressure to fracture underground rock and release oil or natural gas.

What do multiple use and sustained yield mean?

Multiple use manages public lands for a combination of uses, while sustained yield provides renewable resources without impairing the land's long-term productivity.